The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World

In an era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, Kara Cooney turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs—Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II and Taharqa—to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future. The pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us a lot about the world's politics, past and present. Every monumental temple, pyramid, and tomb offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many. From Khufu of the Old Kingdom to Taharqa of the Late Period, she offers insights into understanding how power was earned, controlled and manipulated in ancient times. In mining the past, we can better understand the reason why societies have so willingly chosen a dictator over democracy, time and time again.

This keynote lecture is part of the colloquium Presenting the Past: Responsible Engagement and Ancient Mediterranean History, co-hosted with Simon Fraser University.

This event has been organized by Megan Daniels, Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, UBC, and has been funded in partnership with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection Grant; The Department of Global Humanities and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University; the Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies and Green College, UBC; Acadia University; the University of Winnipeg; and the Vancouver Chapter of the American Research Centre in Egypt.